Esnilda Cristina

Esnilda, a woman of 44 years, is a courageous single mother who assumed the responsibility of educating her children and getting them ahead in life. They are now finishing with primary school and preparing for secondary school, in spite of the fact that Esnilda only received a primary education. She has always been willing to work and provide for her family.

She currently lives with her two children in the Río Verde Parrish of Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is the capital of the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, a province of Ecuador which has sustained high growth over the past number of years. The most attractive and interesting feature of Santo Domingo city is its delicious fruit and the local gastronomy. The level of business carried out here is also considerable as it has become an inland hub for commercial activity between the country’s mountain and coastal regions. Furthermore, its many tourist attractions and warm climate make it a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists. For this reason, most of the city’s inhabitants are involved in some form of commercial activity or service for local residents and tourists.

Thanks to the advice of a friend, Esnilda began buying and selling new and used books that she distributes in rural areas where there is a scarcity of book stores that might encourage culture and the education of children and young people. Esnilda works 8 hours every day, going through the streets of her city buying books that the people of the city don’t want anymore, but that could be used in other places. She also visits warehouses to get books that her customers have requested. She enjoys the work a lot and also uses the books to learn new things.

Currently there is considerable demand for motivational and leadership books to improve the education that is being given in all the areas. Esnilda needs a loan to purchase these books to bring out to the customers that have requested them, and also to motivate all her customers to read this genre of books that can be very helpful. With the increase in variety of books, Esnilda is certain that she will enjoy additional profits as well as the satisfaction of helping her customers grow personally.

Esnilda’s dream is to provide her children with a good education until she can see them become excellent professionals and positive members of the country.

She has taken out a couple of loans before and her payments have always been on time. She has also attended one of the trainings that the Fundación Alternativa puts on for its customers. She has been very brave in putting the training into practice. Thanks to the foundation, Esnilda has not only been able to capitalize her business, but has also enjoyed good treatment by the foundation, something she has not encountered in other financial institutions.

Additional Information

About Fundación Alternativa

Fundación Alternativa encourages entrepreneurship and provides sustainable financial and non-financial services that promote social and economic development in Ecuador. The organization focuses on serving poor and excluded populations through analysis of clients' living conditions and by providing business training and other support services in urban, rural and marginalized parts of the country.